Spatial separation of particles in a particle containing solution for biomedical sensing and detection

Abstract

A device and method for analyte detection and analytes in a particulate bearing fluid such as whole blood having an instrument for partitioning the particles from the fluid that is integrated with a detector for analyses of one or more particulate bearing fluid analytes while the particles in the particulate bearing fluid are partitioned.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a channel to receive whole blood comprised of blood cells and plasma, the whole blood forming a fluid column in the channel; 
 a plurality of acoustic transducers including a first acoustic transducer to apply acoustic force to the fluid column in the channel to form a fluid layer in the channel, the fluid layer comprising the plasma, the fluid layer being substantially free of the blood cells, and the fluid layer being adjacent to a particle layer comprising the blood cells; 
 an optical detector that is aligned with the fluid layer to perform detection on the fluid layer to detect an analyte through measurement of the fluid layer; 
 wherein the first acoustic transducer is configured to apply the acoustic force at a first region of the channel; 
 wherein the plurality of acoustic transducers includes a second acoustic transducer configured to apply acoustic force at a different region of the channel than the first region; and 
 wherein the optical detector comprises a spectrometer. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of acoustic transducers are each configured to generate acoustic waves transverse to the fluid column, the acoustic waves for providing the acoustic force. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of acoustic transducers are each configured to generate acoustic waves having a frequency in a range of 2 KHz to 2 GHz. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the channel is among microchannels in the system. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of acoustic transducers are configured to stop applying the acoustic force to allow the plasma and the blood cells to mix downstream of the optical detector. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first acoustic transducer is configured to apply the acoustic force to the fluid column upstream of the optical detector. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the whole blood has a volume in a range of 1 microliter to 10 milliliters. 
     
     
       8. A method performed using the system of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 receiving the whole blood in the channel; 
 applying the acoustic force to the fluid column using the first acoustic transducer; and 
 detecting the analyte using the optical detector. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the acoustic force applied by the first acoustic transducer comprises acoustic waves applied transverse to the fluid column. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the acoustic force applied by the first acoustic transducer is applied to the fluid column upstream of the optical detector. 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 a channel to receive whole blood comprised of blood cells and plasma, the whole blood forming a fluid column in the channel; 
 a plurality of acoustic transducers including a first acoustic transducer to apply acoustic force to the fluid column in the channel to form a fluid layer in the channel, the fluid layer comprising the plasma, the fluid layer being substantially free of the blood cells, and the fluid layer being adjacent to a particle layer comprising the blood cells; 
 an optical detector that is aligned with the fluid layer to perform detection on the fluid layer to detect an analyte through measurement of the fluid layer; 
 wherein the first acoustic transducer is configured to apply the acoustic force at a first region of the channel; 
 wherein the plurality of acoustic transducers includes a second acoustic transducer configured to apply acoustic force at a different region of the channel than the first region; and 
 wherein the analyte comprises free hemoglobin. 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first acoustic transducer is configured to apply the acoustic force to the fluid column upstream of the optical detector. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the acoustic force applied by the first acoustic transducer comprises an acoustic wave that forms two pressure nodes in the fluid column. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first acoustic transducer is configured to generate acoustic waves transverse to the fluid column, the acoustic waves for providing the acoustic force. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the first acoustic transducer is configured to generate acoustic waves having with frequency in a range of 2 KHz to 2 GHz. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the whole blood has a volume in a range of 1 microliter to 10 milliliters.